Support cancer survivors to participate in research or clinical trials where they are available and appropriate. These might include studies to understand survivors’ issues, to better manage treatment side effects, or to improve models of care and quality of life. For more information visit: Cancer Australia website Breast Cancer Trials website

Early referral to palliative care can improve the quality of life for people with cancer and in some cases may be associated with survival benefits (Haines 2011; Temel et al. 2010; Zimmermann et al. 2014). The treatment team should emphasise the value of palliative care in improving symptom management and quality of life to patients…

Cancer is the third leading cause of burden of disease for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. While Australia’s cancer survival rates are among the best in the world, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to experience a different pattern of cancer incidence and significant disparities in cancer outcomes compared with non-Indigenous Australians. For…

Consider the possibility of metastatic breast cancer if the patient has a symptom that persists over several weeks, tending to get worse rather than better and is otherwise unexplained. Some cases of metastatic disease will be detected at the same time as presentation with the initial primary breast cancer (‘de novo metastatic disease’). Signs and…

The team should support the patient to participate in research or clinical trials where available and appropriate. Many emerging treatments are only available on clinical trials that may require referral to certain trial centres. For more information visit: http://www.australiancancertrials.gov.au Breast Cancer Trials website

Advance Care Planning Australia Advance Care Planning Australia provides national advance care planning resources for individuals, families, health professional and service providers. Resources include a national advisory service, information resources, a legal forms hub and education modules. Telephone: 1300 208 582 Website Australasian Lymphology Association The Australasian Lymphology Association has a number of key resources…

Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre The Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre provides expertise in survivorship care, information, support and education. Its purpose is to support and enable optimal survivorship care. Telephone: (03) 8559 6220 Website Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has developed a…

Patient performance status is a central factor in cancer care and should be clearly documented in the patient’s medical record. Performance status should be measured and recorded using an established scale such as the Karnofsky scale or the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) scale. People over the age of 70 years should undergo some form…